Dear Maine, I’m not going to lie. Last night, when I fell on the ice during the snow storm and couldn’t get myself up because of all the ice and had to crawl on my hands and knees through the snow to my back porch, I was feeling a little grumpy at you. As I […]

So, apparently, we’re getting all of our winter in one week, and while I know we need the snow, I may have turned into a bit of a winter wimp of late, which means I’m dreading the storm and the inevitable that is to follow–the loss of power. When our family moved to rural Maine […]

I wish I could talk to my little boy about Paul LePage. There is so much potential for a great story and important lessons about hard work and the kindness of others, but I can’t. As a mom, I’m frequently ashamed of our governor, and I can’t tell his story to my son because doing […]

I know it sounds crazy, but, growing up, I never went to a fair, not one—at least not that I can remember. We just weren’t that kind of family. So, when my husband and I moved to Maine and I discovered all the fairs every summer, I was insistent. I had to go to one. […]

So blueberry season is now upon us in Maine. One of the reasons I love the Maine summer is that we have three berry seasons: We start with strawberry season; then the raspberries come; and we end on blueberries. We kind of have a fourth season of summer in Maine, but it has nothing to […]

This week was a tough week for me. I learned that my main part-time job, the one that was going to come with some health insurance, is not likely to be funded. This is especially problematic for us, as it seems I have an ulcer, which is just no fun at all. Also, my mom, […]

It’s strawberry season here in Maine, and strawberries are my favorite fruit. Of course, during blueberry season, I’m convinced blueberries are my favorite fruit, but strawberries and I go way back. When I was little, I loved strawberries with a passion, but, when I was growing up, we didn’t have a lot of money for […]

This year’s going to be the fourth summer my husband and I do a big vegetable garden together. Right now, we have only the peas, carrots, potatoes, and onions in the ground, but in Maine, this is to be expected. It was pretty chilly until last week. Sometimes, I forget that growing up in Texas […]

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Crystal Sands

I am a former academic and award winning writing teacher turned hobby farmer/homeschooling mom/freelancer.
In 2015, after too many years of working too many hours, I decided to change my life. This blog shares my stories related to making the change and simplifying my life–a process that began when we finally got our first chickens.
In this blog, I will share my experiences learning how to hobby farm on a small place in Maine, become more self-sufficient, live frugally, live peacefully, and have more time for love.
I hope you will join me on this journey by following my blog and following me on Twitter @CrystalDSands.